Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device and a method for the gesture-controlled setting of one or a plurality of setting variables on an X-ray source of an imaging apparatus.
The invention is predominantly in the fields of medical technology and medical information technology. Other applications, such as e.g. in industry, are also conceivable. In this regard, the invention could also be used, if appropriate, in materials testing or baggage inspection or generally in equipment operation.
One field of application is in the field of radiology, in which computer-aided RIS (abbreviation of the designation “Radiology Information System”), HIS (Hospital Information System), KIS (German abbreviation of Hospital Information System) and PACS (abbreviation of the designation “Picture Archiving and Communication System”) systems are usually used. Radiology is based on image acquisition on different modalities or medical imaging apparatuses such as e.g. a computed tomography apparatus (CT), a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (MRI), a positron emission tomography apparatus (PET), an X-ray apparatus, or an ultrasound apparatus (US). The radiological examination apparatuses mentioned provide the image data record. The image data record is generally an image volume data record containing a volume image, or an image series data record containing a series of images.
In the context of medical imaging and/or treatment apparatuses such as e.g. X-ray or C-arm apparatuses, for various reasons provision may be made for determining the position of the patient and/or of other objects, in particular the spatial treatment and/or examination region of the patient, at least partly and/or at least approximately.
The use of laser projection is possible in the case of X-ray apparatuses. For visually checking a treatment or examination region in radiology, a light source, preferably a laser, is conventionally used which projects laser markings onto the patient, which are verified by using an image recording.
A diaphragm is usually used for setting the examination region to be irradiated during X-ray examinations, the diaphragm being fitted directly to the tube. The insertion can be varied by using integrated, displaceable lead lamellae in order to ensure that only the regions actually of interest are irradiated and the scattered radiation can also be minimized. A light source is used for visualizing this insertion, the light from the light source being diverted through a mirror in such a way that the visible light corresponds to the course of the beam path and represents on the patient where X-ray radiation that is invisible during the recording will impinge.
Therefore, even before the actual irradiation, the user switches on the light source e.g. using a knob on the diaphragm and turns rotary knobs until the lead lamellae insert the desired examination region. In order to ensure that the built-in luminaire is not left switched on continuously, an automatic, time-controlled switch-off can be provided. It is therefore possible for the insertion to actually be switched off while the user would like to carry out settings on the system, and it therefore has to be switched on again.
In order to additionally enable the correct exposure time for an optimum image quality in conjunction with low radiation loading in the case of X-ray recordings, measuring chambers are incorporated in the detector. The measuring chambers measure the radiation behind the X-rayed patient and automatically switch off the generator as soon as the necessary exposure value is attained.
In general, in present-day detectors, the region at which the measuring chambers are situated (“measurement field”) is fixedly defined with regard to size and position and the user can only choose between predefined measurement fields. That construction is not very flexible, since the measurement fields have to be used for different types of recording with different patients. A bone examination for an adult patient normally requires different examination parameters than a lung examination for a newborn. The detectors and measuring chambers used nowadays only satisfy those different requirements to a limited extent.
Fixed measurement fields are available at the apparatuses and their position cannot be altered arbitrarily. Instead, the entire detector has to be positioned so accurately that the region of interest of the patient is situated in front of the measurement field and is thus exposed as well as possible.